Prowers Economic Prosperity meets

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Prowers Economic Prosperity met for its monthly Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, May 2 in the Colorado Room at the Cow Palace Inn.

Rick Robbins, PEP President, noted the recent manufacturing meeting was “another good meeting” and they are actually looking to expand the group. Robbins said they would like to include the major construction companies such as DeWitt Excavating, Carrigan Excavating, and Torres Construction.

It was also mentioned during the meeting the housing roundtable recently met and some local banks were represented at the roundtable and were able to offer advice on the current going rates.

Eric Depperschmidt, PEP Executive Director, gave an update on travel and tourism. It was noted they have been meeting weekly and have been discussing the sales room tax issue. The director said the issue is being studied and the goal is for it to be a ballot issue in November of this year.

The executive director also noted the job creation agreement has been completed for Gateway Safety Products, though a signature from the new business owner is still needed. Depperschmidt noted that if the signature can be obtained within the next week the annual audit review process would begin next year. The annual audit would go through five years from the time the agreement is signed. The agreement includes a two-year window for the business to reach the five employee amount. It was also noted by Robbins and Depperschmidt that PEP is assisting Gateway in the amount of $1,000 per job.

PEP Vice President Anne-Marie Crampton said she and Angie Cue have been working on having Lamar considered for Southeast Colorado Rural Philanthropy Days in June of 2018. “We think we have the capacity to do it if we can have a committee that’s engaged in the activities,” said Crampton. She said the benefit to Southeast Colorado is it “would bring a potential of up to 55 funders to Prowers County.”

The PEP Vice President went on to say it’s a great opportunity to get those funders in Lamar and Prowers County and “show them why we need to be funded and start those relationships.”

Ron Cook, Prowers County Commissioner and Prowers County Representative for PEP discussed an upcoming public meeting concerning broadband. The public meeting will be held on May 24 at 6 p.m. in the Lamar Community College small lecture hall, located in the Bowman Building. Cook noted SEBREA (Southeast Colorado Business Retention, Expansion and Attraction) will be having the meeting to help figure out what is needed for broadband in the area.

The next PEP meeting will be on Tuesday, May 16 in the Colorado Room at the Cow Palace Inn and the next board meeting will be on Tuesday, June 6 at the same location.